A lightweight class between No. 13 ranked Benoit Saint Denis and No. 15 ranked Joel Alvarez was supposed to kick off the UFC 315 main card in Montreal on Saturday but an injury forced Alvarez out of the fight.
Alvarez broke the news on Instagram citing a hand injury.
“Hey there everyone. I’m out of my fight at UFC 315 due to hand injury that leaves me unable to start punching for 3 weeks. It’s not the lightweight loss I wanted, but it’s the one there is,” Alvarez wrote.
“There are many factors that are not in our hands and we cannot control. Camp had been perfect so far. We will be back this year reformed and with a different focus. Thank you very much to everyone always for the support, you are the best.”
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Alvarez (22-3) would have entered the fight riding a three-fight winning streak. He last fought in December, knocking out Drakkar Klose in the first round. His last loss came in 2022 to top contender Arman Tsarukyan.
Saint Denis (13-3, 1 NC) would have been looking to snap a two-fight skid. It’s unclear whether Saint Denis will remain on the fight card against a replacement, or if he’ll be booked for a later date.